A place in the country:
The contribution of second homes to
North Devon communities
Jenny Barnett
Centre for Sport, Leisure and Tourism Research - University of Exeter
Research Showcase Event – April 23rd 2012
North Devon Council
• In collaboration with North Devon Council:
Dr. Mike Kelly, Planning Manager
Andrew Austen, Planning Officer
Percentage of Second Homes
25
20
15
10
5
0
England
North
Devon
Braunton
Brendon & Fremington Georgeham
Countisbury
% of second homes as based on 90% council tax rate (data from North Devon Council except 'England' - Commission
for Rural Communities)
Instow
Exploring Second Homes
• To examine the value and contribution of second home ownership to
communities, framed within UK planning’s statutory sustainable
communities agenda.
• Describe relationships and perceived relationships between second homes
and house prices;
• Explore the opinions towards second homes ;
• Socio – economic impacts and policy recommendations.
Average house price : average income ratio
16
Mean House Price: Median
2008 Salary
14
12
Median House Price: Median
2008 Salary
10
Lower Quartile
8
National (Halifax 2010)
6
4
North Devon Council Average
(Affordability Briefing Note,
2010)
2
North Devon Council
Affordability Definition
0
2010
Ward level 2010
Instow
2010
Ward level 2010
Georgeham
2010
Ward level 2010
Brendon & Countisbury
Primary Data Collection
Summary Findings
• Case by case - each household is different.
• Concern about lack of control in future and lack of regulation
(occupancy, bin collection, extensions).
• Higher range of annual local spend from second homes owners
but a greater minimal spend annually from permanent
residents.
Second homes: contribution
23 %
36%
10 %
Second homes: contribution
51%
46%
Second homes: previous use
62%
8%
House prices
“Properties lost to second
homes will have a knock on
effect in terms of a) house
prices and b) availability”
“Oddly enough I don’t think second homes are the
problem. They’re a small part of the problem but
the fundamental problem is the lack of affordable
supply of housing in a low wage area”
“The area is such a beautiful place to live
and to holiday that any available house is
being snapped up now by second
homes...and because of that they’re over
inflating the price of the property and
taking it out of the reach of the finances
of...the indigenous population”
“They put up the property price, the
local property price and errm so young
families can’t afford to live in Instow.
There was a house for sale over the
summer I think and it said “The most
reasonably priced house in Instow” and
it was up for £199,000 and that’s not a
family home, so that’s a big problem.”
Thank you for listening
• Research presented here was conducted during an ESRC Studentship
under its Capacity Building Clusters Award (RES-187-24-0002) in
partnership with North Devon Council (Mike Kelly and Andrew Austen)
• For more information about this project and the work of the Centre for
Sport, Leisure and Tourism research, see
www.ex.ac.uk/slt/ourresearch/tourismcommunityandsustainabilitysecond
homeownership/
• Jenny Barnett [email protected]